Untreated sewage discharged into Peconic River following pipe break at E. Main Street construction site

Updated- 7 a.m.: The Suffolk County Department of Health Services has issued an advisory urging “precautions” before recreating on the tidal portion of the Peconic River (east of Grangebel Park) this week due to the discharge of approximately 10,000 gallons of untreated wastewater into the river after a break in a Riverhead Sewer District pipe. 

“Contact with waters in this tidal portion of the Peconic River should be avoided. If contact does occur, rinse off with clean water immediately.  Seek medical attention if after exposure you experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, skin, eye or throat irritation, or allergic reactions or breathing difficulties,” the health department said in the advisory issued Wednesday afternoon just before 5 p.m. 

The discharge occurred Wednesday morning at the 203-213 East Main Street construction site, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which publishes sewage discharge reports on its website.

“During construction of a new sewer, an unknown lateral pulled away from the existing 12-inch diameter gravity sewer in the pipe trench,” according to the DEC report.

As a result, untreated wastewater, commingled with groundwater in a trench dug at the construction site, flowed into the Peconic River for about 45 minutes, the report said. An estimated 10,000 gallons of untreated wastewater was discharged.

Potentially impacted public areas, the DEC said is the tidal surface water in vicinity of the construction site.

The Town of Riverhead has not made any announcement about the incident.

“Corrective actions to mitigate the discharge were immediately implemented and the break in the pipe has since been repaired,” the health department said in its advisory.

The DEC said wastewater bypass pumping equipment was available at the site for use  in the ongoing sewer construction. The bypass pumping equipment was set up to allow the wastewater to be conveyed in the sewer while repairs were made to the existing sewer, according to the DEC report. The operation of the bypass pumping system stopped the flow of wastewater into the pipe trench, the report said.

The construction project, a 165-unit apartment building on property between Riverview Lofts and the East End Arts campus, required a DEC permit for a dewatering system, due to the depth of the trench to construct the sewer and the building foundations, according to the DEC report.

Editor’s note: This article was updated after its initial publication with additional information from the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation.